Seven Of The Most Amazing Photographs In History

Photography has not been around for too long but it has been around long enough to capture memorable and astonishing pieces in history. Most of these photos became iconic and renowned as they illustrate candid shots of pure, unadulterated elements and emotions.

1. The Kiss in Times Square, V-J Day, August 1945

Everyone knows of the photo featuring an American sailor kissing a woman in Times Square. It became an iconic symbol of joy at the end of World War II. The photo was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt but he wasn’t able to get the couple’s names and so, over the years, many claimed to have been the kissers but the couple is believed to be George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer Friedman. Friedman described the kiss as something more of an overjoyed expression than a kiss, given that Mendonsa didn’t have to go back to war.

2. The MGM Lion, 1929

http://www.logodesignlove.com/images/classic/mgm-lion-recording.jpg

Different lions were used as a mascot for the Goldwyn Pictures Corporation over the years since the lion became its trademark in 1916. Slats, the first lion, did not actually roar. The second lion, Jackie, gave the trademark roar along with the Metro Goldwyn Mayer logo at the beginning of movies. Jackie appeared in more than one hundred black and white films. In the photo, you’ll see as Jackie’s iconic roar was being recorded.

3. The Last Public Execution by Guillotine, 1939

After the photo became extremely controversial in 1939, death sentences by guillotine were operated privately before it was completely abolished in 1977. Eugen Weidmann was the last suspect executed publicly by guillotine. He was sentenced to death after incidents of robbery and murder and was beheaded on June 17, 1939. Back then, public executions were used to set an example to everyone to keep them from breaking the law.

4. Nikola Tesla in His Laboratory

Nikola Tesla is one of the most revolutionary men in the field of science. He made Tesla coils that could generate very high voltages of electricity. In the photo, you’ll see Nikola Tesla sitting calmly by his Magnifying Transmitter which is basically an advanced version of his Tesla coil transmitters. Even with the surges of extremely high voltage electricity around him, Tesla does not appear apprehensive. Perhaps it’s due to his years of working with Tesla coils and his confidence in his work.

5. The Unbroken Seal On The Tomb Of Tutankhamun, 1922

Archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter became widely known for discovering the tomb of the young pharaoh, King Tutankhamun. King Tut was buried in a series of four sarcophagi hidden inside five shrines. The outermost burial chamber was obviously compromised when Carter and his financer, Lord Carnavon, first saw it due to the re-sealed and plastered hole in the outer doorway. When Carter discovered three untouched burial chambers of King Tut, he found treasures unlike any discovered before. Harry Burton took the photo of the closed doors of the second shrine. The copper handles of the ornately decorated doors were secured tightly with a rope adorned with a clay seal of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian jackal-headed god associated with the afterlife. The unbroken seal had remained untouched for 3,245 years!

6. First Opening of Disneyland, 1955

Walt Disney has become one of the most iconic entertainment companies for children, even back then. The first Disneyland Resort opened on July 17, 1955 in Anaheim, California and was amassed with children of all ages. It is the only Disneyland Park built and designed under the direct supervision of the company’s founder, Walt Disney himself. As of now, you’ll find Disneyland Parks all over the world.

7. The Burning Monk, 1963

The monks were persecuted and kept from practicing their beliefs and spiritual exercises under the regime of the South Vietnamese government. A monk by the name of Quang Duc decided to protest by setting himself on fire at a busy Saigon road intersection in 1963. The monk was accompanied by two others who soaked him in gasoline and struck the match that set him ablaze. Quang Duc did not even flinch and remained in meditative position as he burned alive.